For What Its Worth - Keyes
---For Whats Its Worth - Part 2
Brindisi, June 1915
Even before he had stepped off the gangway, a man was moving towards
him, a hand thrust out to greet him,
"Commodore Keyes? Rennell-Rodd, His Majesty's representative in
Rome."
"I am honoured that you yourself have come to meet me."
"The situation is worsening by the day", Rennell-Rodd explained
as they made their way out into a street where a smart looking F.I.A.T.
was waiting to take them to Brindisi's main railway station. A fair-sized
crowd had gathered and were being held back by a posse of grim-looking
Italian gendarmes.
"They do not seem too friendly," Keyes gestured at the men
- and women too, he noticed - who were watching his progress with ill-concealed
anger.
"Things are becoming complicated in Italy" Rennell-Rodd began,
then cracked a rueful smile, "When have they ever not been?"
"Too true", Keyes agreed, "Pray go on."
"Some - a minority of these", he nodded in the direction of the crowd, "are for Germany and the Alliance. Most" he frowned deeply, and paused for a moment,
"Most of them would dearly love a chance to drive Austria out of
the Northern provinces. . . They feel that Britain is betraying them by
withdrawing from the Dardanelles."
"I see", Keyes was grim-faced as he climbed into the rear seat
of the Italian motor vehicle, so much less solid in appearance than their
Briitish counterparts.
"It is much worse in Rome" Renell-Rodd warned him.
The car began its journey towards the railway station. Overhead the skies darkened with an approaching storm...
Early evening, Northern Italy
Roger Keyes sat alone in the dining car as the train rattled along the
railways over the mountains of Northern Italy. He stared at an elaborately
folded napkin, tried to etch its curves onto his mind, but try as he might
he could not get the memory of Rome from out of his mind.
Alighting at Rome's central station a peculiar noise had rent the air.
"Disturbances in the streets", Rennell-Rodd had described them,
"A Roman tradition" he had added ruefully.
Disturbances? As they made their way to the trains that ran to the North
the disorder had impinged upon them. They had seen a policeman struck
and knocked to the ground, his baton-wielding colleagues wade in to rescue
him, a charge from mounted police drive back the crowds.
"This cannot go on long" Rennell-Rodd had commented as they
made their way hurriedly from the scene, "I would not give Salandra
a week."
"Do you mind if I join you?"
The cultured, accented voice cut through his thoughts, jerking Keyes
back to the present. He half-turned to his right to find a well-turned-out
young man standing in the aisle regarding him. The stranger smiled, a
warm and open crease upon his face,
"Allow me to introduce myself - Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma.
I would think it an honour to dine with you."
Keyes rose from his seat, extending a hand to the prince,
"Roger Keyes", he deliberatley omitted his rank, "Please"
He gestured with the other hand as they shook. The prince sat opposite
him, fixing his napkin even as he began once more to speak,
"You are English? No doubt on urgent business, returning to the
Front?"
"I am English", Keyes for the moment declined to answer the
second inquiry.
"I am come from Rome" Prince Sixtus explained, "I met
with some of my relatives and those of the Italian government who favour
the Entente."
Keyes sat back and let him speak.
"It is not good news" Prince Sixtus continued, "Those
we met with included Count Sonnino but even he no longer believes that
Italy can be brought in on the side of the Entente at the moment."
"That is certainly bad news" Keyes agreed, "though everything
I saw in Rome confirms that view."
The prince, though, had stopped listening and was regarding him with
a quizical eye,
"Roger Keyes?" he asked, "Would that be Commodore Keyes? From the Dardanelles?"
The Englishman looked up and down the dining car, but no one else was
present, not even as yet a waiter. He grimaced at the mention of the last
word the Bourbon prince had uttered, but nodded slowly,
"The one" he agreed.
"While I was in Rome the news came through of the latest losses.
It was seen by some as a bad omen that a warship named after England's
capital city sank so quickly."
"I was sorry to learn of her loss." Keyes hedged.
The prince caught his mood and smiled slightly,
"Of course" he said sympathetically, "Shall we order?"
He picked up the bell to summon a waiter ...
By Jon' N. Davies
